Ingredients

1/3 cup kosher salt

1 cup boiling water

2 pounds Kirby  or Persian cucumbers, washed (scrub if spiny) and halved or quartered lengthwise

At least 5 cloves garlic, crushed

1 large bunch fresh dill, or 2 tablespoons dried dill and 1 teaspoon dill seeds, or 1 tablespoon coriander seeds 

 

Directions

Combine the salt and boiling water in a large bowl; stir to dissolve the salt. Add a handful of ice cubes to cool the mixture, then add all the remaining ingredients. Add cold water to cover. Use a plate slightly smaller than the diameter of the bowl and a small weight to keep the cucumbers immersed. Set aside at room temperature.  Begin sampling the cucumbers after 4 hours if you’ve quartered them, 8 hours if you’ve halved them. In either case, it will probably take from 12 to 24 or even 48 hours for them to taste pickly enough to suit your taste. When they are ready, refrigerate them, still in the brine. The pickles will continue to ferment as they sit, more quickly at room temperature, more slowly in the refrigerator. They will keep well for up to a week. From Mark’s headnote: if you miss your vinegar, you can always add it to the brine after curing or sprinkle a few drops on the pickles directly right before eating. That gives you better control over the acid

 

Zucchini Parmesan Crisps

Ellie Krieger/ 2008

 

Ingredients

Cooking spray

2 medium zucchini (about 1 pound total)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan (3/4-ounce)

1/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs

1/8 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Slice the zucchini into 1/4-inch thick rounds. In a medium bowl, toss the zucchini with the oil. In a small bowl, combine the Parmesan, bread crumbs, salt, and a few turns of pepper. Dip each round into the Parmesan mixture, coating it evenly on both sides, pressing the coating on to stick, and place in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake the zucchini rounds until browned and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove with spatula. Serve immediately

 

Zucchini Bread

Paula Deen/ Food Network.com

Ingredients

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs, beaten

1/3 cup water

2 cups grated zucchini

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, cinnamon and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine oil, eggs, water, zucchini and lemon juice. Mix wet ingredients into dry, add nuts and fold in. Bake in 2 standard loaf pans, sprayed with nonstick spray, for 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Alternately, bake in 5 mini loaf pans for about 45 minutes.

 

Chicory and White Bean Soup

Gourmet December 2003

 

Ingredients

2 medium onions, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

5 garlic cloves, smashed

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled

5 cups low-sodium chicken broth (40 fluid ounces)

1 head chicory (1 pound), torn into 2-inch pieces (16 cups)

1 (16- to 19-ounce) can white beans, rinsed and drained

 

Accompaniment: grated Parmigiano-Reggiano; extra-virgin olive oil

 

Directions

Cook onions in oil in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and oregano and cook, stirring, 2 minutes.

Stir in broth and bring to a boil. Stir in chicory and beans, then simmer, uncovered, until chicory is tender, about 15 minutes.

Transfer 2 cups of soup to a blender and purée until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids), then stir into remaining soup to thicken. Season with salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with cheese and drizzled with oil.

 

Shrimp with Bacon and Collards

Martha Stewart.com

 

Ingredients

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 cup long-grain white rice

4 slices bacon, thinly sliced crosswise

1 garlic clove, minced

1 medium yellow onion, diced medium

1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes

1 bunch collard greens, center ribs removed, leaves sliced crosswise

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Hot-pepper sauce, such as Tabasco, for serving

 

Preparation

In a small saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups salted water to a boil. Add rice and return to a boil. Cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook until rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook bacon, stirring occasionally, over medium until browned and crisp, about 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Add garlic and onion to skillet; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and collards; season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until collards are tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Wipe skillet clean.

In skillet, heat oil over medium-high and add shrimp. Season with salt and pepper and cook, undisturbed, 2 minutes. Add collard mixture and cook until shrimp are opaque throughout, 2 minutes. To serve, spoon mixture over rice and top with bacon and a few dashes hot sauce.

 

 

Blueberry, Kale and Quinoa Salad with Fresh Blueberry Vinaigrette

Cookingquinoa.net

 

Ingredients

For the Salad:

1 cup (240 ml) water

1/2 cup (120 ml) raw quinoa, rinsed and drained

1/2 bunch kale (6-8 large leaves), stems removed

1 Tbsp (15 ml) avocado or olive oil, preferably organic

1/4 tsp (1 ml) fine sea salt

1 cup (240 ml) grape tomatoes, cut in half

1/4 cup (60 ml) chopped red onion

3/4 cup (180 ml) fresh blueberries

sprinkling of hemp seeds, for garnish

For the Dressing:

3/4 cup (180 ml) fresh blueberries

1/4 cup (60 ml) avocado or olive oil, preferably organic

juice of 1 lemon

1 large clove garlic, chopped

 

Directions

Make the salad: Bring the water to a boil in a medium pot; add the quinoa, cover, and lower heat to a simmer. Cook for 18 minutes; check the quinoa to ensure that all the water has been absorbed. If there is still water in the bottom of the pot, cover and simmer another 5 minutes; check again. Keep checking and cooking until all the water is absorbed, then remove from heat and turn the quinoa into a large bowl to cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, wash and dry the kale. Chop into bite-sized pieces and place in a large salad bowl with the 1 Tbsp (15 ml) oil and salt. "Massage" with your (clean) hands by kneading and squeezing the kale between your thumb and fingers until it becomes shiny, softer and a shade darker. This will allow the kale to be digested more easily.

Add the tomatoes, red onion and blueberries to the bowl and toss.

Make the dressing: combine all dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until creamy (I used a hand-held blender and it worked perfectly). Pour over the salad and toss to coat. Add the cooled quinoa and toss again. Sprinkle with hemp seeds just before serving. Makes 4-6 servings.